Well, we just told you that this week is Watch Out For Wildlife Week in California, and that’s already in addition to National Child Passenger Safety Week being celebrated around the country. But there’s another designation that has been given to this week, and that’s National Truck Driver Appreciation Week.
To observe this week, the California Highway Patrol has come out with a news release focused on raising awareness about commercial truck safety and getting commuters to safely share the road with such vehicles. The agency believes that over 15.6 million such commercial vehicles had to pass through a Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facility last year alone, so the issue is of particular importance to Californians.
Two years ago, the CHP was able to record over 20,000 commercial crashes (those numbers are thanks to the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System). These collisions contributed to over 7,200 injuries and 278 fatalities.
In order to curb these types of incidents, the CHP has provided a couple tips to travelers, and they hinge on understanding the challenges of commercial trucking. Because blind spots are larger, other drivers have to be cognizant of where they are at all times and make sure they’re staying clear of those blind spots. One should also be careful not to get too close to a truck in any direction, as it’s harder for commercial trucks to maneuver and stop.